Housing associations

There has never been a sharper focus on how we heat and power our buildings. With fuel prices soaring and deadlines for energy-efficiency improvements fast approaching, housing developers and social landlords are at the forefront of the challenge to decarbonise our homes, both new and existing. It’s with this in mind that the elemental content theatres, which are free-to-attend and running alongside InstallerSHOW at Birmingam’s NEC in June, have been put together.
Designed for an audience of social housing and built environment professionals, the three-day conference programme will feature thought-provoking discussion and an opportunity to learn about the key issues facing the industry when it comes to energy and heat.

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Housing associations under pressure to make budgets work harder and ensure tenant satisfaction with the properties they provide and maintain, should consider the installation, performance, sustainability, aesthetic, and cost benefits of low maintenance PVC-U solutions for both exterior and internal living spaces. Hazel Verschuere, building products director from Deeplas explains more.

With over 1500 housing associations in operation in the UK, responsible for two million homes that provide safe and secure living spaces for five million people*, the importance of the role of housing associations cannot be underestimated.

Housing associations face two highly important retrofit challenges. One is to bring about the decarbonisation of the UK’s social housing stock as part of the battle against climate change, the other is to make their homes more energy efficient and, thus, more affordable for residents. Stewart Little, CEO of IRT Surveys, explains how social housing associations can make smart retrofit decisions to guide them on their path to decarbonisation and energy efficiency.

There are two forces driving energy efficiency within social housing. The most pressing is climate change. With the Climate Clock  predicting that, at the current rate of emissions, the 1.5°C rise in temperature will be surpassed in 2032, there is an existential need to make the UK’s housing stock more sustainable. If this is not achieved by 2050, it is predicted that housing will be responsible for 95% of the UK’s built-environment emissions.

Affordable housing providers can face a difficult task when it comes to procurement. Regulatory and financial restraints mean that most are more mindful of budgets than ever before. Meanwhile, shifting consumer behaviour, not to mention smaller homes, mean that providers are working harder to plan a practical, affordable and design-led bathroom space. Here, Daniel Fairfield, Product Manager, from Twyford Bathrooms offers some advice.

According to the Alzheimer’s Society, the number of people with dementia is steadily increasing and careful planning is required to manage their care and support. One in every 14 people aged over 65, and one in six aged over 80 struggles with the condition. Here, Stuart Reynolds, Head of Product and Marketing at AKW, a leading provider of accessible home solutions, discusses the launch of a new guide that will help housing associations create more dementia-friendly bathrooms.

Energy theft is a serious problem for housing associations and there are a number of reasons for this. In this article we will focus on the theft of electricity, though tampering with gas supplies and meters can have devastating consequences if a leak causes an explosion.
Interfering with electricity supplies and meters can be extremely dangerous. Electric shock can cause burns, injury or death, not only for the culprit but also cohabitants, neighbours, future tenants, housing association staff and contractors. As they are landlords, housing associations have a statutory responsibility for electrical safety as well as a duty to prevent personal injury caused by defects in the property. They also have a duty of care towards staff and contractors.

The Yale Patio Door Lock, supplied by door and window hardware distributor Carl F Groupco, is becoming increasingly popular, steadily gaining positive attention since first appearing in the range in 2019. Manufactured by door lock experts Yale, the Yale Patio Door Lock is a secure choice for inline patio doors. Offering six fully stainless-steel bi-directional security hooks and a stainless-steel faceplate, providing anti-lift multipoint locking. The optional addition of shootbolt locking points offers door fabricators enhanced security to suit their project. High-performance and quality construction methods ensure this locking system provides first-class protection; featuring 20mm backset and 92mm PZ centre case, the patio lock is suitable for a wide range of profiles. Carl F Groupco also supplies all supporting hardware for the patio lock, including patio buffers, wheels, and handles.